Flotation beam for matting construction

ABSTRACT

Lightweight box beams filled with a plastic foam provide buoyancy for support matting in marshy or low bearing terrain. The beams have a substantially square or rectangular shaped cross section and connectors are placed on each beam to permit facile connection to other beams and to permit paneling to be attached thereto. Landing pads would be the most common use for the beams of this invention, but they can be used for a multitude of purposes.

United States Patent [1 1 Gordon Jan. 8, 1974 [5 FLOTATION BEAM FORMATTING 3,385,183 5/1968 Kortz 404/35 3,557,503 1/197] Snyder 1 52/5863,557,670 1/1971 Sutton 404/35 [75] Inventor. Donald T. Gordon, Oxnard,Calif. [73] A h U t d st t fA FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS ssigneez en1 e a es 0 merlca as v represented y the Secretary of the 1,048,55411/1966 Great Britain 404/35 Navy, Washington, DC. M P J PrimaryExaminerarion arsons, r. [22] Flled: June 1972 Attorney-Richard S.Sciascia [21] Appl. No.: 261,761

[57] ABSTRACT 2% 404/35 52/ 3 23 38 Lightweight box beams filled with aplastic foam pro- [58] Fn id "21.61/35 36 43 Vide buoyancy for Supportmatting in marshy or low 1 0 582 bearing terrain. The beams have asubstantially square or rectangular shaped cross section and connectorsare placed on each beam to permit facile connection [56] References cuedto other beams and to permit paneling to be attached UNITED STATESPATENTS thereto. Landing pads would be the most common use 776,41911/1904 Flatt 404/43 for the beams of this invention, but they can beused 2,407,059 9/1946 Crafton 404/35 for a multitude of purposes,3,348,459 10/1967 Harvey 1 404/35 3,379,104 4/1968 Scholl 404/35 2Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 F LOTATION BEAM FOR MATTING CONSTRUCTIONBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The presentinventon relates toconstruction flotation beams and more particularly toflotation beams used for matting construction.

2. Description of the Prior Art In low bearing terrain includingmarshes, swamps and mud, buoyancy must be provided to support normalconstruction operations. One method of constructing in such low bearingterrain is to sink bearing poles into the soil and build platforms ontop thereof. This method is frequently unacceptable due to therequirements for large, cumbersome pile driving equipment.

Another method in low bearing terrains used is to provide large, buoyantstructures such as barges or flotation tanks upon which construction mayoccur. A drawback in this method is that panels which interconnect thebarges or tanks are too cumbersome and the panel connecting means isinadequate to provide a base suitable for construction thereon.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention comprises a lightweightbox beam filled with a plastic foam to provide buoyancy for supportpaneling or matting in low bearing terrain. The beams have asubstantially square or rectangularshaped cross section and connectorsare positioned on each beam to allow end-to-end connections and to allowpaneling to be attached thereon. The invention may be used for amultitude of purposes, but most frequently it is used for aircraftlanding platforms.

STATEMENT OF THE OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION An object of the presentinvention is to provide a lightweight box beam having a plastic foamfiller therein, said beam suitable to provide buoyancy for supportpaneling in low bearing terrain.

Another object is to provide such a beam which is economical in use andsuccessful in application.

Other objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description of the inventionwhen considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of theinvention with a panel about to be emplaced.

FIG. 2 is a side view showing in detail the manner of connecting a panelto the beam of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective viewof the finished platform with differentsizes of panels connected to the beams of this invention. I

FIG. 4 is'a perspective view of a finished platform with widely spacedbeams.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the connectors on each end of the beamof the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawings, itwill be seen that the in- 2 10 is filled with a plastic foam 12 toprovide enhanced buoyancy thereto. Connectors 24 and 26 are positionedon each end of beam 10 to allow end-to-end connections therebetweenwhile connectors 14 allow panels 16 to be attached to the top thereofsubstan tially, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3.

A variety of panel connectors 14 may be mounted on the top side of beam10 but the preferred type, as illustrated-in U. S. Pat. No. 3,385,183,involves a combination male-female keylock arrangement adapted to matewith either the male or female panel connectors 18 and 20 respectively,as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The beams 10 are also connected at each endby mating male and female bayonet connectors 24 and 26 respectively,illustrated in FIG. 5. Other types of beam connectors may also be usedif required. The support panels 16 are laid parallel to the longitudinalaxis of beams 10 and through their connectors 18 and 20, the panels areattached to the top surface of the beams. The panels may be of variedlength. As a specific example, beam 10 with a one foot squarecross-section, a length of 8 feet, a A inch wall thickness and withpolyurethane foam filler would provide about 5 inches of bearing surfacefor the panels 16 which would provide a finished platform 22 forhelicopter or VTOL aircraft. Because of the buoyancy of beams 10,platform 22 would easily float and would be suitable for use in lowbearing terram.

For operations requiring lower strength, fewer beams 10 would berequired and the panels 16 could be positioned with their longitudinalaxis spanning the additional distance between beams 10. In thisarrangement,

the panels 16 would be provided with connectors 18 and 20 on each endfor attachment to the male-female connection 14 mounted on the top ofbeam 10. Such a platform would be suitable for lower strengthapplications such as artillery emplacements and the like.

Obviously'many modifications and variations of the present invention arepossible in the light of the above teachings. It is therefore to beunderstood that within the scope of the appended claims the inventionmay be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is: r

l. A landing mat for providing support'in low bearing terraincomprising:

a plurality of cellular box beams filled with polyurethane foam toincrease the buoyancy thereof positioned endto-end and in a number ofparallel rows; each beam having a male bayonet connector on one end anda female bayonet connector on the opposite end with the male bayonetconnector of one beam engaging the female bayonet connector of theadjacent beam so that the beams are connected end-to-end;

a male-female keylock panel connector mounted on the top of each boxbeam;

a plurality of support panels positioned contiguously on top of the boxbeams; said panels having a female keylock engaging the male keylock ofthe panel connector on a beam in one row and a male keylock, on theopposite side of the support panel from the female keylock, engaging thefemale keylock of the panel connector on a beam in the next adjacentparallel row whereby the support panels form a continuous platform.

2. The landing mat as defined in claim 1 wherein:

the box beams are one foot in cross-section with a length of 8 feet, aone-quarter inch wall thickness and said beams filled with polyurethanefoam filler.

1. A landing mat for providing support in low bearing terraincomprising: a plurality of cellular box beams filled with polyurethanefoam to increase the buoyancy thereof positioned end-to-end and in anumber of parallel rows; each beam having a male bayonet connector onone end and a female bayonet connector on the opposite end with the malebayonet connector of one beam engaging the female bayonet connector ofthe adjacent beam so that the beams are connected end-to-end; amale-female keylock panel connector mounted on the top of each box beam;a plurality of support panels positioned contiguously on top of the boxbeams; said panels having a female keylock engaging the male keylock ofthe panel connector on a beam in one row and a male keylock, on theopposite side of the support panel from the female keylock, engaging thefemale keylock of the panel connector on a beam in the next adjacentparallel row whereby the support panels form a continuous platform. 2.The landing mat as defined in claim 1 wherein: the box beams are onefoot in cross-section with a length of 8 feet, a one-quarter inch wallthickness and said beams filled with polyurethane foam filler.